A cell or battery may include, in a known manner, a management circuit particularly a power management circuit, which is integrated in the structure of the cell or battery. U.S. Pat. No. 6,198,250 B1, which discloses a smart cell or battery of this type comprising a controller circuit, may be cited in this regard. The controller circuit is connected to the cell or battery supply terminals. The controller circuit makes it possible to extend the battery life. To achieve this, the controller circuit includes a DC-DC converter clocked by an oscillator to convert the cell or battery voltage into an output voltage, which may be higher than a cut-off voltage or a battery end-of-life voltage. The converter may be powered on as soon as the battery voltage reaches a battery end-of-life voltage threshold so as to extend the battery life.
In the smart cell or battery of U.S. Pat. No. 6,198,250 B1, no means is provided in the controller circuit for transmitting digital data to an electronic device powered by the smart battery. No information concerning the battery end-of-life or the type of battery used is communicated to the exterior of the smart cell or battery to ensure the proper operation of the electronic device before changing the battery, which is a drawback.
WO Patent Application No 2005/081787 A1, which discloses a battery provided with an electronic circuit may also be cited. The electronic circuit of the battery includes a non-volatile memory, a thermistor, a voltage identification unit, a switch in the form of a FET transistor in series with the thermistor, and a good battery data interface. The data interface terminal is connected to the non-volatile memory, which is connected to the terminals of the rechargeable battery. The switch is controlled by the voltage identification unit. If the battery level is low, the switch is open, which means that a measurement cannot be taken via the thermistor, but communication can be established between a charger and the battery circuit through a clock terminal in association with the memory. However, if the voltage level is sufficient, a thermistor measurement is taken by the charger to determine the temperature of the battery circuit.
Several terminals for voltage supply and data communication must be provided for the battery containing the electronic circuit in WO Patent Application No 2005/081787 A1. This therefore complicates the manufacture of said battery and does not properly optimise the power supply and provision of data towards the exterior of the battery, which is a drawback.
EP Patent Application No 1 892 791 A1 describes a battery pack, which includes a battery connected to an electronic power supply voltage management circuit. The electronic circuit includes operating state detection means for detecting a current, a voltage and a temperature. These detection means are connected to a control unit. A communication interface connected to the control unit is also provided for communicating with an electronic instrument by a modulated signal. However, the electronic circuit is not arranged to adapt certain operating parameters, which is a drawback.